In an hour-long interview today, the 79-year-old sheriff was remarkably open about the endorsement jockeying, offering a rare insight into what is typically a closed-door affair. He noted that it is "nothing new," rattling off a list of past presidential candidates who have sought and won his coveted endorsement, including Romney, who he backed over fellow Arizonan John McCain in the 2008 GOP primaries.

"Of course, Mitt Romney would like my endorsement again," Arpaio added. "He didn't ask up front, but he said he wanted to talk, so we talked."

So far, Romney and Perry have not asked Arapio directly for his endorsement, but the sheriff said both campaigns have made it clear that is what they are looking for.

"I don't endorse anyone who doesn't ask me upfront, to my face," Arpaio said. "But they know I am not ready to make an endorsement yet. I know how these guys work — they aren't going to ask if they know I am going to say no."

Bachmann, a less experienced candidate, made her request in person yesterday, but Arpaio turned her down.

The sheriff, it seems, is holding out to get the most bang for his buck.

"I don't think there is any rush," he said. "Once they get you, you are locked in — they can never talk to you again. When I endorse someone, it has to be where I stand next to them, where I shout it from the highest mountain top. It has to be public, there has to be a press conference — that's just the way I do it."

His remarks make it clear that any candidate who wants to capitalize on Arpaio's conservative credentials in the primaries will be stuck with him — and his considerable baggage — during the general election. Arpaio is a polarizing figure, famous for his unapologetically harsh treatment of county inmates — including housing inmates in Tent City, a non-air-conditioned extension of the Maricopa County Jail that he has referred to as a "concentration camp," reinstituting chain gangs, and forcing prisoners to wear pink underwear. He has also made headlines for ordering theatrical illegal immigration raids, occasionally featuring a cameo appearance by actor Steven Seagal.

Not one to back away from his record or his critics, Arpaio embraces and even promotes his firebrand reputation. Maricopa's "world-famous" pink prison underwear are for sale on the sheriff's website, and his invitation to "come down and check out Tent City and the chain gangs" made it sound more like a tourist trap than a penitentiary. He told me he plans to run for sheriff again next term because he doesn't want to see "the protesters and the critics dancing in the streets."

Arpaio freely admitted that he is "under investigation by everyone from the White House all the way down," including probes into allegations of racial profiling and abuse of power. But that hasn't stopped the candidates from knocking down his door.

"What's funny is I've gotten a lot of heat and they [the candidates] are still coming after me," he said. "Usually when you get a lot of heat, politicians who are up for election can't even spell your name."

When I asked him why he might be an exception, Arpaio laughed.

"That's a good question, I really don't know," he said. "I guess because I am popular. I'm just a little old sheriff — I've already raised $6 million for Republicans this year."